Case Study
Ace Hardware
The Union Hills Ace Hardware store in Phoenix, Arizona is a family-owned business with a proud history of excellent customer service and local know-how.
Harold Kazan and his father-in-law opened their first hardware store in 1952, and eventually joined the Ace Hardware team to provide their customers with the best prices and selection possible.
Over the years the business grew, and the Kazans decided to open a new location in the Union Hills neighborhood. Harold ran the store, along with his wife Lee. Soon, their daughter Lala Van Camp joined the family business.
“Qqest has always taken such good care of us that I didn’t even consider looking at another vendor when it came time to upgrade.”Today, Lee and Lala manage Union Hills Ace Hardware. And while the store’s reputation is rooted firmly in a half-century of proven service, the Kazan family does not rely on past accomplishments alone to ensure a healthy future.
“I’m a big believer in technology, and we’ve always been ahead of the curve in that area,” said Lala, who manages the store’s accounting and IT. “With just 25 employees, it’s really important that we run a tight ship. Automating business processes can make a big difference when it comes to productivity.”
For over 10 years, Union Hills has been using Qqest time and attendance software to track and report employee time. When Qqest announced a new application, TimeForce, Lala did not have to think twice about upgrading.
“Qqest has always taken such good care of us that I didn’t even consider looking at another vendor when it came time to upgrade,” said Lala. “And my decision was confirmed by the implementation process. In just one afternoon, we were up and running. It was almost too good to be true.”
Once the software was in place, Lala had to teach employees how to use the new system. The biometric fingerprint reader concerned a few workers. Some worried about their privacy, while several older staffers had difficulty getting their prints to scan. By using a combination of training and alternative input methods, every employee began using TimeForce almost immediately.
With the basics up and running, Lala is now looking forward to learning about, and using even more of the software’s features.
“Right now, we’re in the process of adjusting settings so that employees can look up their own attendance information, which will be a huge load off my plate,” she said. “Within the next few months, we’ll be integrating TimeForce with our payroll vendor. After that, I’d like to start using some of the reporting features to track attendance patterns so that I can be proactive with my employees instead of just reacting when problems come up.”
Union Hills Ace Hardware has seen real business benefits from using technology to automate a business process. “TimeForce definitely saves me a lot of time and headaches, and it’s very user friendly,” said Lala. “For other small companies out there wondering which time and attendance solution to choose, I definitely recommend TimeForce.”
